Wednesday, June 3, 2009

SALSA DE MANI - PEANUT SAUCE

Apart from being a total and hopeless peanut addict (or should I say freak?!), I am very fond of South American food and of anything exotic that'll spice up my daily life. That's why I decided to broaden my horizon to the amazing joys of latino cooking and test a new recipe which I had been drooling over since a few months...

I'm a big fan of Brazil's tantilizing cuisine and Mexico's mouthwatering cuisine, but I have never ventured into the realm of Ecuadorian cusine before, although, many times, I have been tempted to do so while surfing on Laylita's (USA) wonderful foodblog (see link).

While trying to find a different way of serving chicken legs and a dish that would contain achiote/annatto, I stumbled upon a recipe for "Salsa De Mani" (from Ecuador, but also Peru), a hearty peanut sauce that is quite versatile and can be served in various manners.

"Salsa de Mani" is easy to make and really delicious. The pungently fresh flavor of coriander, the roundness of peanut butter, the shrapness of onions as well as the warm spiciness of cumin blend perfectly well with the slightly bitter, earthy, musky and flowery taste of ground achiote/annatto seeds which also contributes to the sauce's flashy color.

"Salsa De Mani" is far from being bland and boring! It is a mellow and gorgeous vegetarian sauce that will delight you tastebuds without shocking them!

Method:1. Mix the peanut butter with 1/2 cup of milk to help dissolve the peanut butter.2. Heat the butter or oil to prepare a refrito, add the onion (1/2 cup), achiote (annatto), cumin, garlic powder and salt. Cook until the onions are soft.3. Add the peanut butter and peanut butter/milk mixture, as well the remaining 1/2 cup of milk.4. Stir well and let simmer for about 10 minutes, over low heat.5. Add the chopped hard-boiled egg, cilantro, and onions. Salt to taste.6. Serve warm.

Remarks:This sauce is traditionally made with fresh roasted peanuts instead of store-bought peanut butter, but this is a quick and easy way to prepare "Salse De Mani". However, if you wish to make your own peanut butter, then use salted roasted peanuts that you'll blend into a smooth paste.

Serving suggestion:This delicious peanut sauce is best served together with Ecuadorian llapingachos (potato cakes/patties), fried or boiled potatoes, boiled yucca, hard-boiled eggs, pasta (spaghetti, noodles, penne, etc...), vegetables of all kinds as well as with meats (pork, chicken, turkey, ostrich and beef).

I'm also a sucker for anything peanut-buttery! This sauce is great, thanks for presenting it to us! I actually made up a very similar sauce this week, but using some tamarind as well. I had no idea something like existed already. But how foolish of me: 6 billion people on the planet, millennia of culinary history, there's bound to be creative overlap! Now I know what to name my sauce!Thanks Rosa!

OMG! What a perfect salsa! Love spice up my daily life too :PI've got all the ingredients at my mum's place, I just have to wait a few days to make your recipe. And you know what? I didn't know what to do with my "annatto" ;)

While living in Ecuador for five months as an English teach. I had this sauce many, many times. It is fantastic. In the places that I had it we most commonly ate it with a corn patty. Almost like a soft and thick corn tortilla. We had this meal for breakfast.